Machine for applying covering material to endless belts



Nov. 14, 1950 R. R. AMBLER ET AL 2,529,859

MACHINE FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO ENDLESS BELTS Filed Nov. 29, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l gg iii/52222755 Iggelssion '5Z77= Nov. 14, 1950 R. R. AMBLER ET AL MACHINE FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO ENDLESS BELTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 29, 1946 8? 5 .8 m9 02 em mm i my 3J B\ m 9v 3 N T E I M 03 H-N\ E Mi E R, M m P Ill H i, 9 1 m. 4 .fv m 1a &m1mmm% m, RM 0 o v o S 6% f o mm c I lmm\ m w 8. mg a H m1 ww 9% m2 Q 2: m9 Qh\ mm m6 5 H mm 1| O m m O 9 9 09:11. w? o 0 mm m u n kn m5 Q 0 \m\ ml NH FAUL an R @Q Q o 95 O n m o o o m,%\ fl m 4% ms mm 0 G O .l QBQ D: 3 m3 M53 m% R 8 mm. Q on m5 9% 6% K65 R\ NOV. 14, 1950 AMBLER ETAL 2,529,859

MACHINE FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL T0 ENDLESS BELTS Filed Nov. 29, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ruff-27055 05552 Efizzzbisa wsfbzz I R. R. AMBLER ET AL MACHINE FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO ENDLESS BELTS Nov. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 29, 1946 mm a HF. E F .ra/x f mfi j a m 9 46.; $9 m w U i w O 4 w 5 E4 Patented Nov. 14, 1959 MACHINE FOR APPLYING COVERING MATERIAL TO ENDLESS BELTS Robert R. Ambler, Akron, and Roger D. Weston, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignors to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 29, 1946, Serial N0. 713,016

8 Claims. (Cl. 1543) This application relates to the covering of endless articles with strip material and is particularly useful in the covering of endless belts.

In the manufacture of endless belts, such as V -belts for use on grooved pulleys, an endless flexible body of rubber-like material and reinforcing cords or wires is enclosed in a cover of rubberized bias cut fabric which must be folded about the body and adhered thereto before the belt is vulcanized.

Machines proposed heretofore for the purpose usually have required the covering material to be precut to substantially the length of the belt and as some stretching has occurred during feeding of the strip the operator has been required to trim the strip at the splice occurring at the meeting ends of the strip.

The present invention has for one of its objects to draw the strip material from a roll supply and to cut it to the correct length as it is fed onto the belt body.

Other objectsare to provide for trimming the strip to length close to the applying mechanism where the fabric ha a minimum opportunity to stretch, to control the cutting operation from the applying mechanism, to accurately place the strip material, and to provide high speed operation.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

or the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4- of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the solenoid for operating the clutch.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View taken on line 6-Q of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of part of the strip feeding mechanism, parts being broken away.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 9 is a wiring and pipe diagram of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Iildesignates a table to which is secured a frame member H formed with a vertical guideway l2 in which a carriage I3 is slidably mounted for movement downwardly to and upwardly from a covering station. Fixed to the carriage is a vertical rod M on which a bracket 55 is mounted for vertical adjustment and secured to the rod by set screws 56. Bracket has a vertical passage therethrough in which a support I? is slidably mounted. Support I! is held in elevated position by a compression coil spring about the support. A guide wheel 2! is rotatably mounted on the support [1. A guide wheel is mounted for free rotation about a shaft fixed to a carriage 2E slidably mounted on carriage l3 and pressed downwardly by a coil spring 21.

A third guide wheel is rotatably mounted on a spindle fixed to a carriage 3i slidably mounted on a horizontal guide bar 32 supported from table l0 by a bracket 33. All of the wheels 2%, 25 and 30 have parallel horizontal axes and the arrangement is such that a belt body 34 may be looped about the three wheels to present a horizontal reach thereof at a covering station for covering it. The arrangement of wheels 2 l and '25 whereby they are supported by the carriage 413 permits raising them with the carriage l3, as hereinafter explained, to permit placing and removing the belt.

Carriage 3| being moveable along the guide bar 32 permits tensioning and releasing of tension of the belt and its movement is controlled by a double-acting pressure fluid operated cylinder 38 hay ing a piston 3'! and piston rod 38. The piston rod 38 is secured to the carriage 3i for moving it.

Carriage l3 and frame member 4 l support covering mechanism including a plurality of rollers grouped inthe lowered position of carriage 43 at a covering station adjacent the horizontal reach of the belt between wheel 25 and roller 23$ for progressively folding strip material about the belt body. For this purpose roller 4!] which is a cylindrical roller and roller 4!, which is a channeled roller for turning up margins of the strip, are pivotally mounted below the horizontal reach of the belt body on the frame member A l. Also, adjustable side engaging rollers 43, 44, 45 and 46 are rotatably mounted on the frame member ll. A free-running roller 4'! is rotatably mounted on a carriage 48 slidably secured to carriage l3 and spring-pressed downwardly. Stitching rollers 49 and 5B are driven rollers secured to the carriage l3 and driven through universal jointed and slip sleeve shafts 5|, 52 respectively which permit raising and lowering them with the carriage I3.

For advancing the belt body progressively throughthe folding rollers, a drive roller 54 having sharp pin points on its periphery to insure positive driving, is rotatably mounted on a carriage 55 slidably mounted on carriage l3 and urged downwardly by a coil spring 56. A shaft 57,

3 universally jointed and slip sleeved drives this roller.

Driving of shafts BI, 52 and 51 is accomplished by a motor 80 which has a sprocket BI engaging a chain 62 which in turn drives a sprocket 63 fixed to shaft 64. Shaft 60 has a sprocket 05 fixed thereto. A chain 06 thereon drives a sprocket 51 on a shaft 63. Shaft 58 is journaled in a bracket 39 fixed to the table. Other shafts 70, 'II parallel to shaft 68 are journaled in the same bracket and are driven from shaft 68 by gears I2, I3, I4 fixed to the shafts and meshing with each other. Shafts 33, I and II are connected to drive shafts 52, i and 51, respectively.

For advancing strip material to the covering mechanism, a platform I5 is fixed to the table I0 in alignment with the horizontal reach of the belt body. A roller I5 is mounted at the receiv ing end of the table for free rotation and the strip material I! from a supply thereof is passed r thereover. Adjustable guides I8 center the strips. A knife 79 for cutting off the strip material on the bias is mounted on a shaft 80 supported for rotation in bearings secured to the platform and cooperates with a stationary blade ill at a gap in the platform to shear the strip. The knife is normally held above the platform, as seen in Fig. 1 by a coil spring 82 and its shaft has a pinion 83 engaging a rack 84 adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 85 to lower the knife and cut the strip.

For advancing the strip past the knife, 9, carriage 90 is mounted to slide along the platform and carries a shaft 9| in bearings at the sides of the strip which pivotally support a feed finger 02. A fluid operated double-acting cylinder 93 is mounted below the platform and its piston rod 94 is secured to the carriage 90 for moving it toward and from the covering mechanism. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 9| is a pressure foot 95 Which overlies the strip of fabric I? and keeps itfrom buckling.

For retaining the leading end of the strip when the feed carriage returns, a holding finger 96 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 01 rotatably mounted in a bearing 98 fixed to the platform I5. An arm 99 pivotally mounted on the same shaft has its upper end pivotally connected to a rod I00 having adjustable stops I III, I02 thereon. Arm BQ-and finger 96 have frictional slip means engaging them to permit lost motion therebetween. Shaft 9| extends between stops IOI, I02 so that as carriage 90 moves forward to feed the stock it engages stop I02 depressing finger 96 against the strip and when carriage 90 is retracted it contacts stop IOI near the end of its movement and raises the finger. Finger 96 has sharp needle points 93* thereon for holding the strip against retraction.

Movement of carriage 90 is controlled by a reversing valve I05 actuated by an arm I06 and a rod connection I01 thereto. Rod I01 and a second rod I98 are pivotally carried by an arm I09 fixed to a shaft IIII rotatably mounted in bearings III fixed to the table I0. Rod I08 has its opposite end pivotally connected at I I2 to a disc H3 fixed to a shaft H4. The shaft H4 is rotatably mounted in a bearing II5 fixed to the table I0.

For'rotating the disc H3 in one direction, a latch I20 is pivotally mounted at I2! on carriage I3 and has a hook I22 adapted to catch a pin I23 on the disc when the carriage I3 is being raised, thereby rotating the disc in a clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 1, 8 and 9, shifting rod I 08 to the left and operating valve I05 to admit fluid under a pressure through pipe I25 to the left end of cylinder 93, causing carriage 90 to advance the strip material to the covering mechanism. Near the end of its stroke the piston rod, by means of a stop arm I26 thereon, contacts a stop I2? on a rod I28. Rod I28 is connected to a crank arm I29, fixed to shaft H0, and this returns crank I I3 to its original position. The return to original position is made possible by a spring in the valve I05 which tends to hold the arm I06 in either of its extreme positions. This spring when thrown over center advances the disc I I3 to release the latch 520 from the pin I23 and as the latch then advances above the pin, clearance is provided for return of the pin without engagement with the hook I22.

For raising and lowering the carriage, a doubleacting pressure fluid operated cylinder I30 is fixed to the table I0 and its piston rod I3I is connected to carriage I3. A reversing valve I32, see Fig. 9, is fixed to the machine frame and is operated by a foot pedal I33 to which it is connected by a rod I34. A latch I35 is spring pressed against the rod, and in the depressed position of the pedal, enters a notch I36 in rod I34 and holds the valve in a position to admit pressure to the upper end of cylinder I30 by way of a pipe I31. At the same time the valve admits fluid through a pipe I38 to the left end of cylinder 36, tensioning the belt. A coil spring I39 urges the rod I34 and pedal upwardly. A solenoid I43 is arranged, when energized, to withdraw latch I35 and permit the rod I34 and pedal I33 to rise. This reverses valve I32 admitting fluid to the lower end of cylinder I30 through pipe MI and to the right end of cylinder 36 through a pipe I42 thereby raising carriage I3 and releasing tension on the belt.

The invention includes a timing mechanism for controlling the cutting of the strip material to length required by a belt and for resetting the starting mechanism. For this purpose a sprocket I is fixed to the shaft 64 and drives a chain I5I which engages a sprocket I52 fixed to a shaft I53. Shaft I53 is journaled in a bearing I54 mounted on the table I 0. Shaft I53 drives a shaft I55 of a speed reducer I56 through gears I51, I58 fixed to shaft I53 and sliding change gears I59, I60 splined to shaft I55, the arrangement being such that different reduction ratios may be employed for belts of different lengths.

The speed reducer drives a shaft I6I. Journaled on shaft I6I is a grooved pulley I62 which serves the purpose of a timing cam carrier. A cord I63 is wrapped about this pulley in the groove thereof with one end of the cord fixed to the pulley. The other end of the cord passes over a guide pulley I65 and is secured to a weight I66. The pulley I62 may be secured to the shaft by a clutch I6'I operated by a clutch collar I6I The arrangement is such that when the clutch is engaged the pulley is driven by shaft I6I and lifts the weight I66, and when the clutch is disengaged, the weight drops and returns the pulley.

Rotatably mounted about shaft ISI adjacent the pulley I62 is a worm gear I10. A worm I'II engages the worm wheel and has a handle I'I2 secured thereto. The worm is journaled in a bracket I13 secured to the table I0. Worm wheel I'I0 has a projecting stop I adapted to engage a stop I16 on the pulley I62 and arrest its rotation. The arrangement is such that by turning the worm, the worm wheel with its stop is rotated to any desired position and the position of the pulley at engagement by the clutch is determined.

The pulley I32 has a cam I80 projecting therefrom. A pair of limit switches I8I, I82 are secured to the table II] near the pulley I62 and have roller arms I83, I84 respectively adapted to be depressed by contact with the cam I80. Limit switch I8I is in the circuit of solenoid 85 and causes the knife I9 to cut the strip. Limit switch I82 is in the circuit of solenoid I40" and closing of it withdraws latch I35, permitting pedal I33 to rise reversing valve I32 so as to cause carriage I3 to rise and roller 39 to release tension on the belt at the end of the covering operation. The arrangement is such that at any setting of the worm wheel I'IG, the covering strip is out before the carriage I3 is raised to release a covered belt.

A limit switch I93 is secured to the frame member II in position to be contacted by a stop ISI secured to the carriage I3. Switch ISO is open when carriage I3 is at its upper position and closes when carriage I3 is lowered. Closing of switch I90 starts motor 69 and at the same time energizes a solenoid I92 which engages the clutch I61 by moving clutch collar IBI A coil spring I93 acts to return the clutch to open position.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

With the carriage I3 raised and the tension pulley 30 advanced, an endless belt body is placed about pulleys 2 I, 25, 30. A strip of covering material is advanced across the'platform I5 and its forward end is cut on the bias at a position where it will be engaged by the belt body. The operator depresses the treadle I33 to a position where it is locked by the latch I35. Depression of the pedal actuates valve I32 to cause the carriage I3 to descend and also to cause pulley 39 to move to belt tensioning position. As carriage I3 is lowered it releases limit switch I90 starting motor 60 and engaging clutch I61. Lowering of carriage I3 brings roller 55 into engagement with the belt body advancing it circumferentially and drawing the strip material onto the belt body where it is formed about the belt body.

The stop on the worm wheel IIB having been set for the desired belt circumference, the pulley I62 rotates to a position where its cam I811 moves switch arm I83. This lowers knife block I9 cutting the covering material. Shortly thereafter cam I83 moves switch arm I84. This energizes solenoid I40 withdrawing latch I35. 'The pedal I33 then rises under influence of spring I39 and reverses valve I32, thereby raising'carriage I3. As carriage I3 reaches its top position, it engages switch I96 stopping motor 69- and releasing clutch I61. The weight I66 then drops rotating pulley I92 until its stop engages the stop on the worm wheel, resetting the timing apparatus. Also as carriage I3'rises its latch I20 engages pin I23 on disc I.I3, thereby reversing valve I95. This advances the leading end of the strip material to a position where it will overlie roller 59 for covering the next belt and then returns the strip feeding carriage 80 to its original position. The covered belt is then removed from the machine.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for feeding strip covering material to an endless flexible article supported in tensioned condition about pulleys, said apparatus comprising means for driving at least one of the pulleys to progressively advance the article thereabout, a feed table in alignment with a reach of the article, reciprocating means movable along the table responsive to operation of said driving means for advancing strip materialfrom a sup-ply thereof into adhesive engagement with the article, a movable knife mounted at said table for severing the strip material into lengths, and a timer associated with said driving means for initiating cutting movements of said knife, said timer comprising a rotatable disc having a stop thereon, a coaxial adjustable dischaving a stop for engaging the stop on the rotatable disc, biasing means associated with the rotatable disc normally holding said stops in engagement with each other, a clutch between said driving means and said rotatable disc permitting free rotation of said disc under influence of said biasing means, a cam on said rotatable disc, means in the path of said cam and actuated thereby for operating said knife, means for simultaneously starting said driving means and engaging said clutch, and means engageable by the cam of said rotatable disc for stopping said driving means and discon necting said clutch after a cutting movement of said knife has been completed to permit return of said rotatable disc under'influence of said'biasing means.

2. Apparatus for feeding strip covering material to a flexible belt sup-ported in tensioned condition about pulleys, said apparatus comprising means for driving at least one of the pulleys to progressively advance the belt thereabout, a feed table in alignment with a reach of the belt, re ciprocating means movable along the table responsive to operation of said driving means for advancing strip material from a supply thereof into adhesive engagement with the belt, a movable knife mounted at said table for severing the strip material into lengths, and a timer associated with said driving means for initiating cutting movements of said knife, said timer comprising a rotatable disc having a stop thereon, a coaxial adjustable disc having a stop for engaging the stop on the rotatable disc, biasing means associated with the rotatable disc normally holding said stops in engagement with each other, a clutch between said driving means and said rotatable disc permitting free rotation of said disc under influence of said biasing means, a cam on said rotatable disc, means in the path of said cam and actuated thereby for operating said knife, means for simultaneously starting said driving means and engaging said clutch, and means engageable by the cam of said rotatable disc for stopping said driving means and disconnecting said clutch after a cutting movement of said knife has been completed to permit return of said rotatable disc under influence of said biasing means, said apparatus including manually operable means for adjusting said adjustable disc to belts of different circumference.

3. Apparatus for feeding strip covering material to an endless flexible article supported in tensioned condition about pulleys to present a straight reach of the article for covering, said apparatus comprising forming means including stationary forming rolls and opposed forming rolls supported on a carriage for movement toward and from said stationary forming rolls, said opposed forming rolls including a driven roll for progressively advancing the article through said forming means, a feed table in alignment with said reach of the article, reciprocating means movable along said feed table responsive to movement of said carriage for advancing strip material from a supply thereof into adhesive engagement with said article, a movable knife associated with said feed table for severing the strip material into lengths, means for advancing said carriage into forming and driving position, a timer for controlling cutting movement of said knife and return movement of said carriage, and means associated with said carriage responsive thereto during return movement of said carriage for resetting said timer.

4. Apparatus for feeding strip covering material to an endless flexible belt supported in tensioned position about pulleys to present a straight reach of the belt for covering, said apparatus comprising forming means including stationary forming rolls and opposed forming rolls supported on a carriage for movement toward and from said stationary forming rolls, said opposed forming means including a driven roll for progressively advancing the belt through said forming means, a feed table in alignment with said reach of the belt, reciprocating means 1 movable along said feed table for advancing strip material from a supply thereof into adhesive engagement with said belt, a movable knife associated with said feed table for severing the strip material into lengths, means for advancing said carriage into forming and driving position, a timer for controlling cutting movement of said knife and return movement of said carriage, and means associated with and responsive to said carriage during return movement of said carriage for resetting said timer and advancing said reciprocating means to feed forward the leading end of the strip material for a succeeding operation.

5. Apparatus for applying a strip covering to an endless flexible article, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage having means for supporting the article and presenting a substantially straight reach thereof for covering, means for moving said carriage to and from a covering station, means at said station for folding a strip of material aboutthe article progressively in the region of its straight reach, said folding means including means for advancing the article circumferentially, feeding means presenting the'leading end of the strip material at said folding means, a cutter in the path of the strip material for severing a trailing end of the material from a supply thereof, and a timer for controlling operation of said cutter, said timer including a timing cam for operating said cutter, means on the article advancing means for advancing said cam, and means actuated by movement of said carriage from said covering station for resetting said cam.

6. Apparatus for applying a strip covering to an endless flexible article, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage having means for supporting the article and presenting a substantially straight reach thereof for covering, means for moving said carriage to and from a covering station, means at said station for folding a strip of material about the article progressively in the region of its straight reach, said folding means including means for advancing the article circumferentially, feeding means presenting the leading end of the strip material at said folding means, a cutter in the path of the strip material for severinga trailing end of the materialfroni a supply thereof, and a timer for controlling operation of said cutter, said timer including a timing cam for operating said cutter and retracting said carriage, means on the article advancing means for advancing said cam, and means actuated by said carriage in its retractive movement from said covering station for resetting said cam.

'7. Apparatus for applying a strip covering to an endless flexible article, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage having means for supporting the article and presenting a substantially straight reach thereof for covering, means for moving said carriage to and from a covering station, means at said station for folding a strip of material about the article progressively'in the region of its straight reach, said folding means including means for advancing the article circumferentially, feeding means presenting the leading end of the strip material at said folding means, a cutter in the path of the strip material for severing a trailing end of the material from a supply thereof, and a timer for controlling operation of said cutter, said timer including'a timing cam for operating said cutter and retracting said carriage, means on the article advancing means for advancing said cam, and means actuated by said carriage in its retractive movement from said covering station for resetting said cam, said cam being adjustable to articles of different circumferences.

.8. Apparatus for applying a strip covering to an endless flexible article, said apparatus comprising a movable carriage having means for supporting the article and presenting a substantially straight reach thereof for covering, means for moving said carriage to and from a covering station for folding a strip of material about the article progressively in the region of its straight reach, said folding means including means for advancing the article circumferentially, reciprocating feeding means for presenting the leading end of the strip material at the covering station, a cutter in the path of the strip for severing the trailing end of the strip from the supply thereof, and a timer for controlling said cutter, said timer including a cam for operating said cutter and retracting the article supporting carriage, means associated with the article advancing means for advancing said cam, and means actuated by said article supporting carriage in its retractive movement for resetting said cam, and said cutting means including means for advancing the leading end of the strip material upon completion of a cut to present said end at said covering station.

' ROBERT R. AMBLER. ROGER D. WESTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,466,101 Perrault Aug. 28, 1923 1,827,674 Shively Oct. 13, 1931 2,254,394 Ratley et a1. Sept. 2, 1941 

